(CHANDLER, Ariz.) – First-year guard Courtney Hurst (Burlington, Ky./Conner) tied a Thomas More University women's basketball program record with nine three-pointers on Thursday night (December 19, 2019), finishing with 29 points to lead the 21st-ranked Saints past No. 24 Montana Western, 72-69, at the Phoenix Frontier Classic at Chandler-Gilbert Community College.
- The Saints were hot to start the game, making 6-of-7 three-pointers in the first quarter to take a 20-17 lead.
- The Bulldogs battled back to tie the game in the second quarter, and the two teams went into halftime tied 32-32.
- Thomas More opened the second half on a 19-4 run, with Hurst knocking down four three-pointers in a span of four minutes.
- The Saints outscored the Bulldogs 23-12 in the third quarter and went into the fourth with a 55-44 lead.
- Montana Western chipped away at Thomas More's lead throughout the final quarter, cutting the deficit to 70-69 with 30 seconds remaining.
- Zoie Barth (Fort Thomas, Ky./Highlands) sank a pair of free throws with 15 seconds left to extend the lead to 72-69, and the Saints held the Bulldogs without a shot in their final possession.
- Thomas More improved to 10-2 on the season, while Montana Western fell to 7-5.
- The Saints shot 42.9 percent from the field (24-of-56) and 57.7 percent from three-point range (15-of-26).
- Montana Western outrebounded Thomas More 35-28, but committed 25 turnovers to the Saints' 18.
- Hurst's nine three-pointers ties the Thomas More single-game record set by Sydney Moss, who accomplished the feat twice in the 2015-16 season against Indiana Wesleyan and Waynesburg. Hurst made nine on only 12 attempts, while Moss attempted 15 and 14 threes, respectively, in her record-setting games.
- Hurst led all scorers with 29 points.
- Barth finished with 14 points and four assists.
- Senior forward Emily Schultz (Melbourne, Ky./Bishop Brossart) had 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
- Senior guard Kaela Saner (Florence, Ky./Boone County) added nine points, four assists, three rebounds, and three steals.
- The Saints will return to the court for the second day of the Phoenix Frontier Classic tomorrow at 6 p.m. Eastern against No. 25 Carroll College (Montana).
